EUR-OCEANS Jury member
Executive Director of the European Union of Aquarium Curators (EUAC)
Having received his diploma of zoology at the
State University in Gent in 1959 he was in
charge of a study on Fisheries problems on
Lake Albert in the former Belgian Congo. He
had to leave unexpectedly.
In 1963 he became the curator of the aquarium in the Antwerp Zoo and remained in this position until 1984 when he became general curator of the animal collection. Before retiring in 2000 he was nominated Operations Manager of the Antwerp Zoo.
As zoologist he participated in three consecutive summer campaigns of the Belgian Antarctic Expedition and studied behavior and aspergillosis problems in Emperor and Adelie Pinguins in the neighbourhood of the King Boudewijn basis.
In 1972 several European aquarium curators felt the need of a professional organization and he was co-founder of the European Union of Aquarium Curators. In 1980 he was nominated until 1999 as secretary-general. In 1999 he became Executive Director, function which he still occupies today.
Upon the ratification of the CITES treaty by Belgium in 1984 he became member of the Belgian Scientific Authority and participated in the Conference of the Parties as member of the Belgian delegation.
From 1985 to 1990 he was a consultant and member of the “Comité des Sages” to the planning, realization of the “Biodôme” in Montreal.
Since 1988 he is a member of the Steering Committee of the International Aquarium Congresses. In 2004 it was decided to create the IAF – International Aquarium Forum, a worldwide professional aquarium organization to ease the professional exchange between public aquariums world-wide. He was nominated president of this organization.From 1991 to 1993 he participated in the meetings of the working group in Antibes in charge of the creation of an international national reserve for Marine Mammals in the West Mediterranean Sea.
The E.U.A.C is a founding member of WON (World Ocean Network ) as well as of EUR-OCEANS where he represents the European public Aquariums.